Lebanon Planning Commission discusses Hartmann Drive changes

The Lebanon Planning Commission discussed a pair of South Hartmann Drive changes Tuesday during its preliminary meeting at the Town Meeting Hall.

The group discussed a potential rezoning for property on Leeville Pike from medium-density residential 12,000 to medium-density residential professional office.

“This area is the first rezoning we’ve had in our new Hartmann Gateway Study overlay. The Hartmann study actually calls this character area out as a single-family attached and detached character area,” said city planner Richard Donovan.

The Lebanon City Council approved the implementation of the South Hartmann Gateway Study into the city’s future land use plan and major thoroughfare plan earlier this month.

The city will use the study as a guide for development along the corridor.

The study, which covered South Hartmann Drive from West Main Street to Highway 231, includes about 3,000 acres of land directly attached to or close to South Hartmann Drive.

Mack McCluskey questioned if the rezoning request was consistent with the future land use plan for the area described in the gateway study. Donovan said the requested zone allows additional uses outside of the approved single-family developments, including townhomes, duplexes and multi-family units.

“It does stretch outside of that character area of single family and detached housing, and you’re typically looking at a townhome-style product or a zero lot-line project,” Donovan said of the medium density residential professional office. “It’s really set up to allow a work-live situation.”

“Considering all the effort that went into the overlay, and this being the very first one, it seems like we’re setting a terrible precedent,” McCluskey said.

Lebanon planning director Paul Corder said developers were willing to accept an alternative zoning, such as single-family residential, to comply with the study plans.

The commission also discussed Aviation Boulevard, which would connect South Hartmann Drive to the new Lebanon Municipal Airport terminal building.

RAWSO Constructors in Murfreesboro received the project for just more than $880,000. The road will run through Lebanon Marketplace.

The terminal building opened in May and features the Lebanon Airport Commission’s office, a pilots’ lounge, corporate conference rooms, a quiet room, along with the Wilson County Joint Economic and Community Development Board office, Class Bravo Air and additional corporate office space.

The Lebanon Municipal Airport was one key subject of the South Hartmann Drive corridor study. Lebanon airport manager Heather Bay said the terminal is one step to prepare for the area’s future.

“We are living in a profoundly adventitious time. In the history of the world, country, state, county or city, population is growing faster than ever before. The rate is unimaginable. We cannot fathom it. The numbers continue to grow. With that being said, this is only one of the many steps that has to be made for the future,” Bay said.